books

1417 – Waste Tide (2013 novel)

For All Tomorrow’s Parties. 全为明日派对。


timespace coordinates: The Waste Tide depicts a dystopian China in the post-2020 era. (2040’s -2050’s) In the Guiyu island, the large electronic recycle industries are in full control of local lineage associations. The laborers who undertake dangerous work for the profit of the Chinese and foreign businessmen who employ them are depicted not as humans, but cyborgs whose bodies and minds have been altered permanently through bio-engineering.

wastetideThe Waste Tide is a science fiction novel by the Chinese writer Chen Qiufan.

The story takes place in the imaginary ”Silicon Isle”. The Chinese word ”硅屿” for Silicon Isle shares a similar pronunciation with Guiyu (Chinese: 贵屿) in Mandarin. In the real world, Guiyu is a town in the Shantou prefecture of Guangdong province in China. And it is Shantou where Chen Qiufan was born and grew up before he entered Peking University. Situated on the South China Sea coast, Guiyu got famous in the global environmentalist community for its reception of E-waste. The town held the record for being the largest E-waste site up to 2013. Though some residents got rich by electronic recycling, pollution became serious in the town. Talking about the background of writing the novel, Chen said: ”Choosing my hometown as background to write the story, is related to my thinking of China. To depict the pain of changing China, is just because I desire for she getting better gradually.’ (wiki)

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1416

Joseph Needham’s sketchbook from his visit to the Buddhist grottoes at Chienfodong 千佛洞 (Qianfodong), Dunhuang, Gansu Province,… (NRI2/5/12/4)

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Joseph Needham



Mirroring the Master: Making Magic in a Nineteenth Century Tibetan Book of Spells

movies, music

1415 – Uncut Gems (2019)

timespace coordinates: 2012  New York City‘s Diamond District

Uncut-Gems-2019Uncut Gems is a 2019 American crime thriller film directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, (Good Time) who co-wrote the screenplay with Ronald Bronstein. The film stars Adam SandlerKevin GarnettIdina MenzelLakeith StanfieldJulia FoxThe Weeknd, and Eric Bogosian.

The plot follows Howard Ratner, a gambling addict in New York City’s Diamond District, who gets in over his head with loansharks and must retrieve an expensive gem he purchased in order to pay off his debts. (wiki)

“That’s a million dollar opal you’re holding. This is old school. Middle-earth shit. “

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movies

1414 – Togo (2019)

timespace coordinates: 1925 serum run to Nome – central and northern Alaska

Togo is a 2019 American drama film directed by Ericson Core about the 1925 serum run to Nome focusing on the sled dog Togo and his owner Leonhard Seppala (Willem Dafoe).

wiki   /   imdb   /   rt

animation

1412 – Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013)

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is a direct-to-video animated film adaptation of the 2011 comic book crossover “Flashpoint” by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert. It is scripted by Jim Krieg and directed by Jay Oliva. (wiki)

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013) is an alternate reality horror story (…), where The Flash (voiced by Justin Chambers) changes the past and transforms the present into world at war. In this alternate future, Flash has no powers, Bruce Wayne is dead (turning Wayne’s father into a brutal masked vigilante), and superheroes Wonder Woman and Aquaman are vicious warlords ready to destroy the earth in their blood feud. It’s the butterfly effect as comic book apocalypse and it’s a dark, brutal animated film. Warped-mirror versions of beloved DC heroes are turned into bloodthirsty warriors murdering one another (and even slaughtering children, albeit off-screen) until the frame is littered with corpses, and The Flash needs to recover his speed to set things right. This one earns its PG-13 rating (it features bloody violence and even some mild foul language) and is aimed at a more mature graphic novel audience. The voice cast includes Michael B. Jordan as Cyborg, Cary Elwes as Aquaman, and Vanessa Marshall as Wonder Woman. (Sean Axmaker)

imdb   /   rt